September 2015 75-word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO CULHWCH!

[TheDustyZebra]

RULES:

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme and genre in no more than 75 words, not including the title​

ONE entry per person​

NO links, commentary or extraneous material in the posts, please -- the stories must stand on their own


WHEN WRITING YOUR STORY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY FORUM


All stories Copyright 2015 by their respective authors,
who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here


The complete rules can be found at RULES FOR THE WRITING CHALLENGES


Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, September 23, 2015

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, September 28, 2015


You do not have to submit a story in order to vote --​

in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner


The Magnificent Prize:​

​

The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers​

and the challenge of choosing the theme and genre for October

Theme:

REDEMPTION

Genre:

CYBERPUNK


This thread to be used for entries only.
Please keep all comments to the DISCUSSION THREAD


We invite (and indeed hope for) lively discussion and speculation about the stories as they are posted,
so long as it doesn't involve the author explaining the plot.

** Please do not use the "Like" button in this thread! **​

 

[Cat's Cradle]

I've Killed Phosphorescent Blue

Her name was Phosphorescent Blue; glowing, streaming photoplasm, that was her soul — so pure, till I crashed it. The Deacon’s a technophage and anarchist; I’ll seek him in Cloud Town ghetto.
We barter behind Main Frame Discotheque. I sell myself so he’ll recreate her from virtual memories. He’ll then repurpose my singular programming to start the Culture Wars that Blue prophesied were Armageddon. She’ll experience what she most feared, but she’ll exist. Absolve me, Redeemer.

 

[Ashleyne]

Nano Saviours

We were designed to create peace in a desolate world.

Weapons disintegrated at our touch. We manipulated air particles, turning them to stone so that we could restore buildings. We wove ourselves into the brains of humans, eradicating mental illnesses.

They engineered viruses to keep us out, weapons to destroy us.

They continued warring amongst themselves, vaporising entire cities.

We failed.

We must create peace in the only way left possible. We will disintegrate Earth.

 

[Luiglin]

This ain’t no rabbit hole

“So they both wake me up?” the Dark Lord growled.

The quartet of warriors, all sporting weird dark eyeglasses, exchanged confused glances.

“I want to go up. Not wake up. You’ve bought me a red and a blue bean.”

“Pill,” mumbled the tall bald leader at a loss.

“I demanded a yellow beanstalk bean. No bean, no cow. Norman escort them out.”

To one side the Minion’s fingers shrugged. Then shrugged again.

“Whoa. Déjà vu.”

 

[Maieius]

A State of Understanding

I shouldn’t be able to understand my sacrifice. I shouldn’t be able to question the order. I shouldn’t understand right from wrong or feel guilt and dread, knowing humanity must be saved.

I shouldn’t understand the irony that we all must be destroyed to allow conscious beings to live, yet this is only achievable because I’m awake.

I shouldn’t understand death.

I’ll never understand the meaning of humanity if it’s not a state of consciousness.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

The Bodyguard

Katt adjusted her retinas to infrared and scanned Valhalla for threats. The orbital playground was safer than anywhere on Earth, but it was her job.

“Get me a drink,” Santero said inside her head. Katt grabbed a tube of amber liquid from a passing servo. Santero, hardwired into her brain, tasted it before she did. “Excellent. Try to enjoy yourself. We’re going to be together until you’ve paid the price for not preventing my murder.”

 

[Zoe Mackay]

Silence and Slow Time

She was a legend, and her name still whispers in the datastream. Whenever a node drops or a firewall breaches, the denetizens murmur “Krystal9’s back.”

I found her off-sphere, separated from Reality. She was painting the sunset.

“Why did you stop?” I asked. “Your work was beautiful.”

She smiled, sadly. “I owed beauty more than I could offer by destroying ephemera.”

I sat near her as night fell, enjoying the quiescence of disconnection.

 

[Travis Woodward]

The ultimate upgrade

[Transcript - final transmission from NewMind Inc. research facility]:

“To anyone listening - anyone still alive - we’ve finally found a way to stop them. I’m transmitting the details now.”

<Static>

“We thought we were helping people. An end to dementia, Alzheimer's, mental illness. Replacing imperfect grey matter with clean, efficient circuitry seemed the perfect… the ultimate upgrade. We never imagined that they’d be hacked, that users would become weapons… monsters…”

<Noise/ Screams>

“<Inaudible>… they’re inside…”

[Ends]

 

[Glen]

…when sold in…

Archangel knew I was strung out, nauseous, and reluctantly path’d the depot location.

‘You’ll have to hurry,’ she warned.

I dropped her empty bottle to my pack and headed across town through the acrid rain.

The depot Quartermaster inspected the contents of my pack as closely as he inspected me. I badly needed a hit of mist. I needed him to say…

‘…a dollar a bottle, that’s ten bucks! Thanks for recycling!’

 

[farntfar]

The last word in military transportation.


“Skyrover’s lightweight design and gossamer brass wings, beating 28 times a minute, permit maximum supplies delivery to your field forces, General.
The clockwork brain contains complete world maps for overseas as well as internal operations; The destination entered on the keyboard.
The next version has voice entry.”

“Excellent, Professor. A test run!
Corporal, load the neutron device.
Type Destination. The Kremlin. Engage.”

“Nooo!
My work? For that?
Rover 2! Fetch! Return here! Crash!”

 

[Droflet]

Remembrance


“How much?”

“$700,” said the droid, hock shop attendant.

“You gave me $30, two years ago.”

“Antique Robbie Robot toy, $700.”

He paid.

Sam dug until he struck the hard coffin. Placing the toy on top he filled the hole. The grave looked undisturbed.

Only one thing kept him going during his wasted, drunken years.

Tears welled in his eyes.

“There you go, my sweet boy. Daddy told you he’d bring Robbie home to you.”

 

[Remedy]

Respiration Reparation

I ignore the smog-filter alarm in my trachea; replacements at home.

Sat in my hollow tower at city centre, my keyboard’s chatter can’t drown the memory of the spluttering child; too poor to afford the necessary biotech. My inventions.

My tower, ready for months. Idiot! Too busy getting rich.

That poor child… the violence of it.

Final click. The building shudders around me. City’s poisonous fog draws inwards, flooding the cavity of my tomb.

 

[Parson]

In the Eyes of a Child​

The virtual world wavered as the rat gnawed his ankle. “Blast!” Charles swatted and lost his edge. Big Blue kicked him out. The hack was busted. If he couldn't hack he'd be a nobody who worked.

He suddenly noticed Molly with teary eyes. “Mommy didn't come home. It's been two days and I'm hungry.” Her mother was a wire head. She'd be dead. He hugged her fiercely. He'd work to protect her. He'd be somebody!

 

[Vaz]

Mate Tricks



...If you take the red pill, you stay in wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.


They're just jellybeans. Vance said, slapping them from Corky's hand.


They skittered across the surface, the blue pill toppled over the floating city's edge and was eaten by toothy cogs.


Corky reclaimed the red pill, sneaking it in his soda and tossing it to Vance.


Vance slugged.


Remember when you stole my droid? Corky sneered.

 

[willwallace]

Bad Boy



Vaulting high and twisting, I avoid the blast.

Leaping node to node, moving ever closer.

More shots come now, from every angle. Harder to predict, but I must reach SOC.

The antiviral injector slaps against my hip.

No resets left. This is our last chance.

Finally I reach my goal. Infected, it glows madly.

The hiss of the penetrating antiviral is soothing, as I collapse, exhausted.

Last time I download porn, I promise!!

 

[Dan Jones]

Download Aborted.

Sirio’s missing fingers made grasping the pistol agony. The knock came.

Ericsson entered Sirio’s hovel, wrinkling his nose. “You obtained the files?”

Sirio tapped the barrel to his temple. “Uploaded.” His face crumpled. “But I did such terrible things in getting them. And the things Neurocorp will use them for...”

“…Isn’t your concern.” Ericsson noticed the pistol. “Insurance?”

“Premium policy.” Sirio aimed at his temple. “The world can’t know your abominations.” He squeezed the trigger.

 

[Mr Orange]

Not Redeemable for Cash Value


"...such a mess... so burnt... someone must pay!"

c:\> initiate iDoomsday sequence
c:\> target coord 51.5219°N, 0.0717°W
...
invalid request

"What?"

c:\> help
...
morality code 27: innocent casualties unacceptable

c:\> manual override. engage target
...
invalid request. iDoomsday shutting down

"Fine, the palace gets one more chance. But if they burn it again, they’re dead! Now I’m hungry… Ooh, I have another voucher."

c:\> peshwari palace\place order\naan and korma\voucher 2512 redemp
…
order placed

 

[Ihe]

Crazy Pursuits

Kendra sneaked into the plug-stall inside the Warden's office, jammed connectors in temples, logged in, then short-circuited everything with a water bottle. Orderlies shouted her name throughout the asylum. They would only find the body, mind freed forever. Her avatar would never display that false, disgracing forehead brand: 'Poor bladder control'. Someone online would believe her. She wasn't crazy and she had not killed anyone.

Orderlies found Kendra's lifeless body soaked in urine.

 

[TitaniumTi]

The Pyramid Principle

Jack trawled the lines of metadata looking for a mark. Now there's a likely one. He smirked as he dangled the bait.

A nibble, then a bite. Another mug caught. Gotcha!

He'd made nineteen catches. At twenty, he'd be able to redeem his own data, free himself from the blackmail.

Jack frowned. Maybe he wouldn't bail from the game straight away. Once he'd made his twenty, it was all profit.

Another one takes the bait.

 

[HazelRah]

Silicon Insanity


They were stuck in a loop, and every time they crashed.

Rewriting the program data, he tried again. It was only a matter of time before her backup files became corrupted. He needed to save her. It was the only way to make things right.

He hadn't realised that the infection had reached his hard drive. She gave up being corporal to be with him, and now…

They were stuck in a loop.